“Trop is te veel en te veel is trop.” (“Too many is too much and too much is too many.”)

Paul Vanden Boeynants’ most famous expression

On January 14 1989, former Belgian Prime Minister Paul Vanden Boeynants was kidnapped by members of the Haemers criminal gang. The incident is still controversial and the subject of many disputes. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

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Paul Emile François Henri Vanden Boeynants (May 22 1919 – January 9 2001) was a Belgian politician. He served as the 41st Prime Minister of Belgium for two brief periods (1966–68 and 1978–79).

Three days after his kidnapping, the criminals published a note in the leading Brussels newspaper Le Soir, demanding 30 million Belgian francs in ransom.

Paul Vanden Boeynants — known as VDB in the media — was released unharmed a month later, on 13 February 1989. An undisclosed ransom was paid to the perpetrators.

The kidnappers were caught and imprisoned. However, two members of this gang managed to escape from the St Gillis Prison in 1993.

Patrick Haemers, the head of the gang, later committed suicide in prison. He allegedly hanged himself on a 130-centimetre (4 feet) high radiator in his Belgian jail cell on May 4 1993.

Patrick Haemers was at one time considered a likely suspect as the so-called ‘giant’ of the Brabant mad killers gang.

The Brabant mad killers gang is responsible for a series of violent attacks that mainly occurred in the Belgian province of Brabant, Belgium, between 1982 and 1985. A total of 28 people died and 40 were injured.

The members of this gang have never been identified and their motive remains unknown.

Recent developments

Etienne Delhuvenne was the lawyer of Patrick Haemers. Last week, he told Belgian media that the kidnapping of VDB had been ‘sponsored’ by a Belgian businessman.

“I know the name of this man who emerged in another case. This is why Patrick Haemers believed he would be acquitted. When in the witness-box, he intended to reveal the person (or persons) who had ordered the kidnapping. His suicide, supposing it was a suicide, prevented the names from coming out,” the former lawyer said.

Etienne Delhuvenne claims that the businessman paid Haemers 5 million Belgian francs (125,000 euros) for the kidnapping of VDB.

“After Haemers’ death, I gave the evidence to the Commissioner X, who found the bank account, on which there were not 5, but 10 million Belgian francs. The additional 5 million came from the paid ransom. All of these aspects remained concealed, and Haemers, having died in his cell, was no longer there to talk.”

In popular culture

The kidnapping was referenced in a 1989 novelty song by the New Beat band Brussels Sound Revolution called Qui…? , which featured samples from the press conference Vanden Boeynants gave after his kidnapping.

It was a hit on both sides of the Belgian language border. The song is completely tasteless and utterly idiotic. Only in Belgium would people mock the kidnapping of a former Prime Minister.

La conférence de presse de Paul Vanden Boeynants (JT15-02-1989)   [French]

Le lendemain de sa libération, l’ex-Premier ministre Paul Vanden Boeynants, enlevé pour rançon durant un mois, fait une déclaration à la presse.

Cette épreuve ne l’a manifestement pas complètement abattu. Le récit de son enlèvement est resté dans toutes les mémoires…

ET LA FAMEUSE REPLIQUE LA PLUS MEMORABLE: “VDB, TU NE VAS PAS CREVER ICI “

Brussels sound revolution – Qui ..?  

QUI m’a enlevé?

REFERENCES

Paul Vanden Boeynants — Wikipedia

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30 Years Ago — Former Belgian Prime Minister Kidnapped by Haemers Gang (January 14 1989)